The Circulatory System
What is the Circulatory System?
- The circulatory system is responsible for transporting blood, nutrients, gases (oxygen),
and waste throughout the body.
Heart- an organ that acts as a pump, circulating blood throughout the body.
Blood vessels- hollow tubes that carry blood to the entire body
Blood- a red fluid that transports oxygen to cells throughout the body, removing waste
carbon dioxide from the cells on the way.
Capillaries: are small blood vessels. These capillaries help to connect the arteries and the
veins.
The Heart
○ The heart is a muscle that pumps
blood throughout the body.
○ It has four chambers: two atria
(upper chambers) and two
ventricles (lower chambers).
Vena Cava
👉 A big vein that brings blood with no oxygen from the body to the
heart.
✅ Function: Sends "used" blood into the heart to get more oxygen.
Right Atrium
👉 The top-right part of the heart that gets blood from the body.
✅ Function: Receives blood from the vena cava and passes it to the
right ventricle.
Right Ventricle
👉 The bottom-right part of the heart that pushes blood to the lungs.
✅ Function: Sends the blood (low in oxygen) to the lungs through
the pulmonary artery.
Pulmonary Artery
👉 The tube that carries blood from the heart to the lungs.
✅ Function: Moves blood to the lungs to get oxygen.
Pulmonary Vein
👉 The tube that carries oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to
the heart.
✅ Function: Brings clean, oxygen-filled blood back to the
heart.
Left Atrium
👉 The top-left part of the heart that gets blood from the
lungs.
✅ Function: Receives oxygen-rich blood and sends it to
the left ventricle.
Left Ventricle
👉 The bottom-left part of the heart that pumps blood to the
body.
✅ Function: Pushes oxygen-rich blood into the aorta to
send to the body.
Aorta
👉 The biggest artery that carries blood from the heart to the
rest of the body.
✅ Function: Delivers oxygen-rich blood all around the
body.
Blood Vessels
● Blood vessels are tubes that carry blood to all
parts of the body.
● Three types of blood vessels:
○ Arteries: Carry oxygen-rich blood away
from the heart.
○ Veins: Carry oxygen-poor blood back to the
heart.
How to Remember:
○ Capillaries: Tiny vessels where oxygen and
nutrients are exchanged with cells. Arteries: Away from Heart
Vein: In Heart
How Blood Circulates
○ The blood moves through the
body in two main circuits:
■ Pulmonary Circuit:
Carries blood to the lungs
to exchange oxygen and
carbon dioxide.
■ Systemic Circuit: Carries
oxygen-rich blood from
the heart to the rest of the
body.
Practice Labeling the Heart
[Link]
The Function of Blood
○ Blood transports oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and waste products.
○ It also helps fight infections and regulate body temperature.
Components in Blood:
Plasma: the clear, yellowish, liquid part of the blood that
carries the blood cells
White Blood Cells: tiny cells in your body that help you
fight off infections and other diseases
Platelets: small, colorless cell fragments in our blood that
form clots and stop or prevent bleeding
Red Blood Cells: cells that carry oxygen to the tissues and
are responsible for the red color
Short Summary:
■ "What is the main job of the circulatory system?"
■ "Which blood vessel carries blood away from the
heart?"
■ "How many chambers does the heart have?"
■ “What are the components in blood?”